Lose Weight to Transform Your Life:  

Vitals: Tom Gross, 28, Raleigh, NC

Occupation: Database consultant

Height: 5'11"

Time Required to Reach Goal: 1 year

Weight Before: 302

Weight After: 170

Lesson Learned: Denial is toxic. If you can't admit the problem, you'll never find a way out. Secret Weapon: Determination. I was driven to improve, and to prove the doctors wrong.

 

The Gain: Gross was a lean teenage athlete, but a serious motorcycle crash broke so many bones in his leg and ankle that doctors said he'd never run again. He grew depressed and bloated. "I went from being at the top of my game to finding myself alone in an apartment," he says.

 

The Change:Three years and six surgeries later, Gross was mostly healed, but he was up to 302 pounds. Painful stomach ulcers then forced him onto a liquid diet, and he shed 15 pounds in a month. The surprise weight loss inspired him to become serious about his health. He switched from simple to complex carbs and ate lots of protein. He also eased back into exercise, starting with low-impact cardio on the bike and elliptical trainer. When he'd lost 40 pounds, he began jogging -- just 10 minutes at first, and then gradually more. "I knew what I had to do to lose the weight; I just needed the motivation to actually do it," he says.

 

The Lifestyle:Gross avoids fatty restaurant fare by packing a turkey sandwich and vegetables for lunch. His snacks are protein shakes and fruit. He's intensified his workouts, running 3 to 5 miles a session at the start of each week and building to 10 by the end. He lifts weights 4 days a week, focusing on major muscle groups.

 

The Reward: Before Gross lost the weight, simple activities would make him feel sluggish. Now he's a marathoner: He completed his first 26.2-mile race in under 4 hours. "It's been an amazing experience to do what I was told I'd never be able to do again," Gross says.

 

Tom's Tips:

Push yourself. Never have a slack workout. Fatigue and soreness are part of the deal.

Success is mostly mental. Instead of rationalizing why you can't go for a run today or why you can't lift that much weight, tell your negative inner self to shut up.

Be open to change. Don't stay stuck in a routine that no longer challenges you.Lose weight and pack on muscle with our Belly Off program at MensHealth.com/bellyoff.

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